Clothing in Post-World War II Era

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Clothing in Post-World War II Era!

It is extremely difficult to sum up the changes in clothing that have taken place since 1945.

The keynote of the changes in men’s dress has been casualness. The tailored jacket and vest have been steadily ousted and often replaced by knitted pullovers and cardigans. Central heating of homes and transport by car have virtually done away with overcoats, heavy tweed suits, and hats; well-cut shirts and trousers are normal office and car wear.

In line and cut, fashion styles have changed more quickly than ever before, with the narrow cuff-less trousers, trousers with the waistband at hip level, and the bell-bottomed flared trousers all popular at various times. For elegant evening wear a coloured velvet jacket with cummerbund (a belt tied around the waist) was long favoured, although many men accepted little distinction between day and evening attire.

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A feature of clothing fashions since 1945 had been the emphasis on clothes for the young, something never before experienced. Throughout history children and young people wore basically the same type of clothes as their parents. After 1945 a generation was growing up to enter a world of easy employment opportunities and good wages.

The marketers of clothes took full advantage of this and aimed their designs toward the young; a complete teenage wardrobe evolved, comprising garments almost un-wearable by older people. Clothes were extremely tight-fitting and casual. Blue jeans became and, indeed, continued to be a uniform for the young.

Young men and women began to ape each other’s styles, and unisex clothes were born. Since then clothing styles have moved quickly and have been full of contradictions. Ethnic, romantic, nostalgic, erotic, punk, and conservative effects, among others, have all had their adherents.